Alright, that was completely worth it

Unlike most of you out there, I did not immediately rush into the Outlands with my level 60 whateveradin, slaying my way through Hellfire Peninsula in an unquenchable thirst for experience on the road to 70. Instead, I put aside that urge and rolled a Draenei Shaman.

Now, just shy of 3 weeks from the release of the Burning Crusade, I've hit 60 - thanks largely to Skew having infinite patience waiting for me to catch up to him in quests - and have made my first tentative steps into that which lies beyond the Dark Portal.

It's not that the Outlands are unfamiliar to me as a player, I spent a decent amount of time exploring them in beta, but there's a whole different vibe to them after slugging through every single one of Azeroth's zones in such a short period. To put it on a grand scale, it must feel the same way that seeing the new world felt to the first European settlers. To put it on a normal scale, it was really freaking cool.

All of Azeroth feels so far away now. I made it to Shattrath, actually got a tour of the place from one of Khadgar's servants, and chose my allegiance (to the Aldor, btw, though I'm sure the elf-lovin' Scryers are nice folk too). I now have a rudimentary understanding of what's going on in the Outlands - Illidan = Bad, everyone else = good - and feel like there may be a point to my questing.

To those still on Azeroth, I urge you to commit and level up to see the Outlands. Bountiful riches await you (every single drop is an upgrade), fantastic battles will challenge you, and the world itself will have you gaping in awe. For those of you in the Outlands now, don't forget to go back to the old world to see what a difference an expansion makes - and if you really want to see it from a new perspective, level up a Blood Elf or Draenei, so you can appreciate it all the more.

Have any of you done this, or are in the process of leveling up a new character without first taking a look into the Outlands with a 60 you have? What's your experience been like?